A/N Sorry for the delay! Exams had me up and down all month. I finally managed to finish this chapter! SuperNatural1985 have you read the book men of the otherworld? It explains Jeremy's character perfectly! He is just REALLY intuitive about people. Thank you all for the reviews! Please R & R & enjoy.

I stretched sleepily, pleased to find that I was still alone. There were too many scents in the room for me to figure out how recently my captors had visited me. I could tell that I'd been sleeping for quite a while from the stiffness of my body, and a faint scent of rain drifted from upstairs, but other than that I had no idea.

I decided to sniff around my surroundings, and was surprised when I walked nose first into iron bars. After a brief examination and careful feeling I realized that I was in a huge, iron cage. Right, because every normal person had big cages in their basements. The only thing even more disturbing than that, was the fact that my werewolf strength wasn't enough to bend the bars out of my way. I hadn't expected the alpha, Jeremy, to be this prepared for keeping werewolves captive.

It took me quite a while to discover the lock. I could locate the general position from where I'd heard the door screech open before, but then I needed to feel my way to the lock. I was surprised to find that I would have a hard time picking it from the inside. Luckily, though, my nails were long enough for the job.

I scratched at the lock for a while, sighing in relief when it finally sprung. The next step was to get out without the noise alerting an entire werewolf pack. My day was just brightening by the minute. I pushed against it slowly, cringing at the slightest sound. When the door was open wide enough for me to squeeze through without getting stuck I darted out. It felt good to know that I could still sneak around like this.

I was on my hands and knees in moments. I couldn't risk changing with my wounds and leaving a trail of blood, but I could pick up warning scents if I crawled around like this. Not to mention that no one studies the floor for potential escaping psychos who might be crawling around their feet.

The process of making my way upstairs was a slow one. I needed to be extra careful in uncharted territory, and I had no idea where the pack was. Every corner was full of potential danger. The house was dusty and cool. I wondered briefly why the pack didn't clean up more often, then dismissed the thought. The ruling pack had no idea how dangerous the overlays of scents were to them. Of course, they had no idea that they were in danger in the first place. This place was home to them – not some clinically clean shelter where no traces should be left when they moved again so that other werewolves wouldn't be able to track them down. They were safe.

I made my way through the house by sheer dumb luck. It took longer than I would have liked to sniff out the entrance, but I managed to do so without making too much noise. From where I was I could hear several heartbeats coming from upstairs. Outside I heard frogs and crickets, letting me know that it was night time. I was safe in the shadows.

I wanted to go find some food, but decided not to push my luck. I could catch something in the forest once I got far enough away to be out of danger. I slipped into the night air, stretching out fully. I knew that I was fairly tall for a woman, which is why I tended to slouch a bit. It was never good to be conspicuous.

I didn't make it very far. I would have noticed Jeremy sooner if I had been paying more attention, but of course I just had to embarrass myself further by not realizing how close he was until his low voice growled right behind me.

"Going somewhere?"

I paused, considering a mad dash into the forest. I wouldn't get very far in a forest I'd never been in, though, that's how I'd been caught the first time. I turned slowly, glaring in his general direction.

"Do you ever sleep?" I asked, miffed. He chuckled, making plenty of noise when he stepped forward. I decided not to be indignant about his consideration since I hadn't noticed him when it had counted.

"It seems that I'm not the only one unable to sleep tonight," he replied calmly. I couldn't decide whether he was convinced I wouldn't have managed to escape on my own or whether he just didn't expect me to fight when I'd already lost.

"I'm pretty strong. I could take you," I blurted. I felt his chuckle through the air, but the sound was lost even on my sensitive ears.

"You could try," he replied cryptically. Now what could that mean? Was he saying he'd beat me in a fight, or was he actually sincerely agreeing, or was…?

"How are your wounds?"

"Fine," I tried hard not to sound like a sulky child. Obviously the ruling alpha didn't think much of me as an opponent.

"That's good," he replied. His voice was slightly muffled, as though he was looking up. Studying the stars, perhaps?

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" I asked. I was pleased to feel his surprise. That's right, this wolf has seen the stars as well! Take that, super cryptic alpha.

"Yes, they are," he replied. Well, there goes my triumph. I huffed and moved back toward the scent of werewolves. I heard him following me, but he kept his distance.

"The city is in another direction," he called after me when I slipped inside again.

"It's too cold for escaping, and there's a storm coming in," I shot back, hesitating just inside the house. Where was the basement again?

"You can tell that?" he sounded surprised again.

"Yes," I replied curtly. Never reveal more than is necessary. Jeremy slipped past me, seeming unperturbed by my confusion. I followed his footsteps, blushing when I realized that whenever there seemed to be an obstacle Jeremy paused for half a second before moving around it.

"Would you like some coffee?" he offered. I bit my lip, not sure how to reply. It didn't seem to matter since he put the kettle on anyway.

"That cage is easy to escape," I told him, knowing that I probably wouldn't manage that trick again. I didn't know why I hadn't just attacked him and run. Perhaps it was my pained feet, perhaps it was because I was so sick of being just another killer like Alpha… perhaps I felt a kind of gratefulness to Jeremy for protecting me from Rott. Most likely it was all of these things. Whatever kept me here, drinking coffee and chatting with the ruling alpha, I knew that this was something I had never experienced before. If the mutts got me back, I would never experience it again.

The only question was: do I like this or not?

"I wouldn't have expected you to pick the lock. You're not an average woman on the streets, but you proved that from the beginning."

Was that a compliment or a veiled threat?

"I lead a life different from yours…" I replied cautiously. Jeremy pushed a cup of coffee under my nose. The aroma was incredibly sweet.

"You need some sugar," Jeremy's faint smile was audible when he spoke. I suppressed a smile and sipped at the coffee. It was scalding against my tongue, but it was too good not to drink.

"Thanks," I hesitated. "I can't tell you anything. Alpha will kill me," well, I didn't sound weak in the least. Since when was I such a cat?

"It's okay, you don't need to endanger yourself for us," he replied. The thought made me laugh.

"If only you knew how much you need exactly that…"

"The pack can take care of itself. I won't let anything hurt them."

That was news. Could it be that Jeremy was really more protective of his pack than I'd realized?

"Can they? Alpha has a formidable group of followers. I wouldn't want to go up against them."

"Didn't you already go up against them?" his voice was suddenly much gentler. The observation shocked me slightly. It was true that I had nowhere to return to, but I had never considered myself an enemy of Alpha's pack.

"I guess I am now…" I muttered, sipping more coffee. I imagined Jeremy giving a solemn nod at my words. The thought made me smile. For a blind werewolf, I could have quite the imagination.

"They are a group of mutts who formed pack. Their objective is to overthrow you, and trust me they're good."

"Thank you."

"I'm going to bed," I muttered, putting down the cup and feeling my way back to the safety of the cage. Jeremy didn't follow me. I managed to curl up in the farthest corner of the cage, feeling miserable. I was betraying my pack. Whatever I felt for them, as a wolf they were still my pack. I couldn't figure out if Jeremy knew that, but I was relieved that he left me to sulk in my cage. I woke up sometime later to the sound of thunder. A big, woolly blanket covered me. I snuggled deeply into, enjoying the scent of Jeremy for the second time while I slept.

It was the smell of something off that drew me from my cage. Once I managed to sort the scent from all of the others in the house I recognized what it was: and infected wound. I shivered, sneaking slowly upstairs.

All day the pack had been doing whatever the hell it was they did. I had been sulking in my cage all day, never looking up when Jeremy put a plate of food in my cage. I didn't eat, either. I didn't have an appetite anymore. He didn't stop bringing it anyway, though. I hadn't come across Clayton or anyone else either.

But the scent taunted me. I didn't know what had happened, but it needed fixing. I heard quite a ruckus in what I assumed to be the living. Several heartbeats pierced my ears. Some quicker than others… children.

"J-Jeremy," I growled, stopping in the doorway to where everyone was. They had been fighting about taking the kid to a hospital. Was I doing the right thing…?

There was suddenly silence. I felt vulnerable with a room full of werewolf eyes on me. I wanted to bolt, but Jeremy was there.

"Hello, Clair," he said mildly. A growl rised from someone's throat. It was Clayton.

"That wound is infected…" I mumbled, glaring at the floor. Of course, my being blind meant it didn't make a difference, but that way they couldn't keep studying my face. I heard something akin to a chuckle from Jeremy.

"This is the girl? She barely looks capable of catching a rabbit!"

I blushed at the words. The voice was light and friendly.

"Be careful, Tonio, Rabbits always go for the eyes!" the other voice matched Tonio's, but was lower. I couldn't help but giggle at his words. Luckily I wasn't heard over their laughter. I stepped into the room, surprised when a female voice hissed at Clayton to behave.

"May I…?" I was generally asking Jeremy, but it was Tonio who replied.

"Go for it, sport!"

I smiled hesitantly, crouching where I knew the kid was sitting. The smell of blood and fever nearly made me gag. The child could've been no older than six, but he was definitely a future wolf. I sniffed carefully at the wound, pulling back when he flinched and whimpered.

Clayton made a disgusted sound in the back, but was once again shushed by Elena.

"May I go into the forest… in wolf form?" I asked sheepishly. There was silence. Even the breathing had quietened down.

"Clair-"

"Do you think we're stupid, mutt? Do you really think we'd let you run off that easily?"

"Clayton, that's-"

"I could have run off before. You're not the best bodyguard when you're asleep, dog." I growled back. The child whimpered. I took a deep breath, waiting for Clayton to finish growling some kind of threat at me. Jeremy was about to intervene, but I cut him off again.

"Look, this kid should really get treatment. If he doesn't..."

I let the words sink in. The room was quiet again.

"It's not an infection, it's pure poison. A snake, I'd guess." I didn't need to see to know that the kid was nodding. I had no idea why he hadn't told them before, but that wasn't my problem either.

"I know how to fix it. I've come across this kind of thing before. Look, clayton right? You can come with me if you're so scared I'll bolt. I just need a few plants."

"That's not going to happen," he growled back. I was getting desperate, but I had one last card to play. The kid whimpered again, the room were holding their breaths. I glared at the floor, wishing I hadn't experienced the full effects of a similiar poison before.

"Fine, I'll tell you what you want to know about Alpha."

A/N well there you go. I know there didn't happen much but bear with me! I'll update again soon, now that it's vacation. Please review!